XIX. To us, us also, open straight! The outer life is chilly; Are we too, like the earth, to wait XX. -Oh, my own baby on my knees, At XXI. Too well my own heart understands,- And hair of Lily's colour! XXII. But God gives patience, Love learns strength, And Faith remembers promise, And Hope itself can smile at length On other hopes gone from us. XXIII, Love, strong as Death, shall conquer Death, Through struggle, made more glorious: This mother stills her sobbing breath, Renouncing yet victorious. XXIV. Arms, empty of her child, she lifts With spirit unbereaven, 'God will not all take back His gifts; My Lily's mine in heaven. XXV. 'Still mine! maternal rights serene Not given to another! The crystal bars shine faint between XXVI. 'Meanwhile,' the mother cries, content! Our love was well divided: Its sweetness following where she went, Its anguish stayed where I did. XXVII. 'Well done of God, to halve the lot, 6 To us, XXVIII. this grave, to her, the rows The mystic palm-trees spring in; To us, the silence in the house,— To her, the choral singing. XXIX. 'For her, to gladden in God's view,- Beside the Rose of Sharon ! XXX. 'Grow fast in heaven, sweet Lily clipped, XXXI. 'While none shall tell thee of our tears, These human tears now falling, Till, after a few patient years, One home shall take us all in. XXXII. 'Child, father, mother-who, left out? And when, our dying couch about, XXXIII. 'Some smiling angel close shall stand In old Correggio's fashion, And bear a LILY in his hand, For death's ANNUNCIATION.' CATARINA TO CAMOENS; DYING IN HIS ABSENCE ABROAD, AND REFERRING TO THE POEM IN WHICH HE RECORDED THE SWEETNESS OF HER EYES. I. On the door you will not enter, Close and cover These poor eyes, you called, I ween, II. When I heard you sing that burden I but harkened that of Only saying In heart-playing, yours 'Blessed eyes mine eyes have been, III. But all changes. At this vesper, Cold the sun shines down the door. If you stood there, would you whisper 'Love, I love you,' as before,Death pervading Now, and shading Eyes you sang of, that yestreen, As the sweetest ever seen? IV. Yes. I think, were you beside them, Near the bed I die upon, Though their beauty you denied them, As you stood there, looking down, You would truly Call them duly, For the love's sake found therein, 'Sweetest eyes, were ever seen.' V. And if you looked down upon them, All the light which has foregone them Be as duly Love-transformed to beauty's sheen, 'Sweetest eyes, were ever seen.' |